


Booth Babe

by Gemagination



Category: Community (TV)
Genre: Annie's sad apartment, Bullying, Celebrity Pharmacology 212, Comicon, Cosplay, F/M, Mean Girls, Mistaken Identity, Season 2
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:33:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23550118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gemagination/pseuds/Gemagination
Summary: Annie's journey to become an independent woman takes her to some interesting places
Relationships: Annie Edison/Abed Nadir
Comments: 42
Kudos: 129





	1. Chapter one

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't finished writing this, but thought I'd post what I've got so far.

Last week had been an all-time low for Annie. She couldn't believe she let Pierce corrupt her like that! After promising herself she wasn't going to take money from Mom and Dad anymore, what did she do? Turn around and find a gross old sugar daddy. At least all Pierce wanted was better lines in a play, rather than something more nefarious, but still... she felt like she needed a shower anyway. What hurt most of all was the way her friends had looked at her when they found out. Even Abed had glared at her!

The play _had_ been super important to her. Looking out into the audience's faces, she had seen herself in them, and it made her want to cry. All those young kids were exactly where she had been and she could imagine all the pressure they were under. She itched to reach out and hug them, followed by a stern warning that drugs were NOT the answer.

Unfortunately, she had thrown all those ideals away when Pierce walked in the door to her apartment. Somehow, her home hadn't seemed that bad when it was a secret. She could ignore how dangerous the neighborhood was, and the seedy characters who lived all around her. It wasn't perfect, but it was all she could afford. If she squinted, it almost felt 'hip'. She could pretend she was in a novel about a cool young woman who played guitar on the street for tips, or something.

As soon as Pierce found out where she lived, the reality of it all came crashing down on her. She lived in a horrible apartment, above an obnoxious marital-aid store, in the worst part of town. Suddenly, her place didn't seem noble or cool or independent- it seemed sad, lonely, and frightening. Looking into Pierce's judgmental face, she couldn't stand one more minute of collecting cans or digging for change. She wanted a clean, safe place to live! Was that so much to ask for?

She had told herself at the time that taking some money from Pierce was just going to be a one-time thing, something to kick start the new stage in her life. She should have known, however, that it would turn into something much more. Of course he would ruin her play, and poison the minds of all the children!

Her friends had given up on the play once they learned the truth about Pierce’s special treatment, and Annie had truly never felt so low. Unexpectedly, Chang saved the day. In a weird way, he was perfect. His characterization of drugs fit exactly with how Annie had felt at the end of her own addiction- what once had been a good friend quickly turned into a monster that ruined her life.

In the end, her friends had forgiven her, although the betrayed looks they had worn would stay with her for a long time. She had resolved to never let them down again.

This time, Annie was going to be independent. She was going to do things herself, like a smart, capable, independent woman! Weren’t the men in her life always telling her that she was a kid? No more acting like a child, running to mommy for a check. If she wanted to be seen as a grown-up, she had to start acting like one. The first thing she needed was a job.

Unfortunately, all her academic focus in high school never left her much time to build up a resume. With no employment history and only a half-completed community college degree, Annie wasn't exactly the most qualified candidate on the job market.

Frowning, Annie realized that wasn't totally true- there was all her volunteer work! Surely the summer spent digging through trash had to count for something. She decided to call Rich, and ask if she could use him for a reference on her short resume.  
Settling into her only chair, she dialed his number into her thankfully still working phone, and smiled at the sound of his voice.

"Annie Edison! What a nice surprise," Rich's smooth and peppy voice came over the speaker. It was easy to remember her crush on him all that time ago. Rich was so nice, a girl couldn't help but love him.

"Hi Rich, how are you?" Annie asked. They caught up for a few minutes, as Rich filled her in with stories from the hospital. He was such a good guy, it was unbelievable.

"Well, what about you?" he asked, as her laughter died down.

Biting her lip, Annie debated. She hated asking favors from people- she preferred to be the one helping. But, she really needed some prospects. Gathering up her courage, she prepared to explain.

"I started looking for jobs recently, and I'm wondering, if it wouldn't be too much trouble, could I add you as a professional contact on my resume? I realize we weren't technically co-workers, but it'd really help me out." Stopping herself from babbling too much, Annie waited for his response.

"Gosh, Annie! That's really incredible of you. All your school work and activities, and you're adding a job to that? You really are a special kid."

Annie's cheeks flushed at the compliment, and brushed aside the "kid" comment. As much as she hated it, she was starting to get used to the men in her life seeing her that way. Jeff had been the first to tell her she was too young, and Rich the second. Even tiny-nippled Vaughn had been reluctant to go past second base, saying he felt like a cradle-robber.

"I really wish I could help you out," Rich said, and his pause was much too long for her liking. Would he really refuse to be her reference? Her heart pounded that he would reject this small request.

"I'll tell you what... go ahead and use my name on anything you want, but I'd like to do something more. My brother Harry's business goes through a temp agency when they're hiring. I bet he'd have something available soon, and he'd appreciate not having to pay the middle-man."

"Really?" Annie's spirits soared. Rich had a brother? Who had a business? It was more than she had hoped for. Absently, she wondered if he was just as cute, too. "That would be amazing. I really appreciate it. Is he in the medical industry too?"

"No, it's more promotional and entertainment. Advertising and such. Now, Annie, it's not a long-term thing, it's more like a one-time basis for big events. But I suppose if he likes you- and I don't know why he wouldn't- he could hire you again for the next one."

"That sounds great!" _And even if it's a one-time thing,_ she silently added, _at least it'll give me something to put under work experience._

"I'll give him your number, and tell him to call you."

"Thanks Rich!" Annie was smiling so big, her cheeks hurt. She was glad Rich couldn't see what an idiot she looked like right now.

"Okay, well that's the end of my break! Back to work, those kiddos aren't going to heal themselves!"

"Bye, Rich."

Jumping up out of her chair, Annie decided she'd better edit her resume to show her advertising experience. Did running for student council count? That was sort of the same...

Annie spent the rest of the afternoon imagining herself on Madison Avenue, coming up with pitches. Things were looking pretty good.

* * *

Abed watched as Troy’s hands flew over the page, sketching out the armor he was envisioning for their next project. He could see the outline developing, and already knew it was going to be amazing. Checking the clock, he realized Troy had been able to focus on drawing for five minutes now, which was unusual. He scanned the room to see what was different.

The study room was in its usual flow, with its occupants scattered and engrossed in their usual dramas. Shirley was showing Pierce pictures of her boys' school play. As he listened, he noted that the rhythm of their banter was typical of the two's dynamic; nothing unusual there.

Britta and Jeff had settled back into their chairs after leaving the room for yet another coffee and bathroom break. There was some interesting tension going on there as well, but nothing to explain the current environment. Annie was seated between the two pairs, chewing determinedly on her purple pen. Abed realized she hadn’t looked up for any of Jeff’s comings or goings, nor had she tried to get Troy back on track. Scanning her for clues, Abed began to catalog all of the nervous habits he was used to seeing in his friend.

Before he could finish, Annie was startled out of her thoughts when a crumpled piece of paper was thrown at her, hitting her squarely in the nose.

"Hey!" Annie said, glaring at Jeff.

"What are you doing?" Jeff asked, raising an eyebrow. "We've been off topic all afternoon and you haven't scolded us once."

"Oh," Annie replied blankly, and went back to studying the front of her binder. Abed frowned, realizing something must really be off.

Jeff stared at Annie for a few more seconds, then rolled his eyes. "Whatever. If the bookworm isn't going to make us study, I guess I will."

Abed tuned out Jeff’s monologue and focused on the girl across from him. It wasn't like her to be so detached during a study session. Usually she conducted the meetings like a cheery band leader, ensuring everyone was following along and keeping up the pace. Today she had become a blank shell, and he idly wondered if her body had been Snatched.

Then again, she had been different ever since the anti-drugs play last week. He had been shocked by her lack of standards, and how she had seemed to be corrupted by Pierce. Yes, Annie sometimes did shady things in order to get her way, but it was usually for the greater good. This time, she had deliberately sabotaged her own pet project for the group's villain. It didn't make sense.

He thought he had understood how important the play had been to her, given her history with addiction. It was her chance for redemption- maybe her own struggle with pills would have meaning if she saved someone else's life. Why would she give that up for Pierce? His only guess was that while Annie was pretty good at manipulating people, Pierce was even better.

Abed certainly understood the need to cave to adults when money was on the line. His own father controlled his academics by refusing to pay for classes he deemed unworthy. Britta had helped teach him the value in standing up for yourself, but that lesson had ended in his father paying for film classes. Abed wondered if Annie's financial situation hadn't turned out quite so well. He didn't know how she paid for school, and she didn't live in the dorms like he and Troy did. Leaning back in his chair, he was dismayed to realize he didn't know where Annie lived, or how she afforded anything. He didn't like not knowing significant details about the characters in his own life.

His musings on the brunette were interrupted when her phone began to buzz. Shooting up from her seat as if she'd been zapped, Annie ran out of the study room without a backward glance. The six friends looked at each other, puzzled.

"Well, that was rude," Pierce said, crossing his arms.

Shirley glared at him. "Be nice, Pierce."

"Focus, people," Jeff snapped. "We're here to study, not to gossip. Next week is chapter 7, so let's start there."

The rest of the group returned to their books. Pushing aside his Annie-related questions, Abed tried to retain some of the material Jeff was reciting.

* * *

Annie was in the middle of a full-blown freak out. An hour earlier, she had been ecstatic when Rich's brother called her and said he wanted to meet up, but now all that was left was panic.

Their chat had been pretty brief, as he wanted to go over the details in person. The event, Harry told her, would begin tomorrow night, and last through Sunday. Still, he wanted to meet her tonight on campus just to make sure she was the right fit for the job.

 _"I'm sure you'll be just fine,"_ _he had assured her,_ _"if Rich recommended you. Still, there are some details to go over. Let's meet face-to-face tonight, just to get you filled-in."_

She had run back to the study room, gathered her things as quickly as possible, and flew home. Annie couldn't recall if she had even said goodbye to her friends. Checking the clock, she realized she only had an hour before it was time to meet Harry back at Greendale.

Now she was in her tiny apartment, a plain box of a room with mismatched furniture she’d salvaged from the sidewalk. With every scrap of clothing she owned strewn around her, it looked as if a tornado had come through, but was only interested in fabric. She sat down in the middle of the mess and sighed in frustration. Her wardrobe consisted of countless miniskirts, opaque tights, and cardigans, all of which called to mind a prep school student. Annie wrinkled her nose. This job search was about being an independent woman, not a school-girl. Unfortunately, everything else she had was either too casual or too formal for a job interview.

Her first instinct had been to wear the outfits she had worn the two times Jeff kissed her. After all, for Jeff to notice her, she must have been looking pretty grown-up those nights.

Unfortunately, the blue dress from the Transfer Dance was still too painful to think about. Her cheeks burned still when she thought about how she'd been played. The kiss had been everything she'd wanted, until he had ruined it with a summer of unreturned phone calls and dismissive texts. The hazy glow she had somehow managed to salvage in her memory shattered the day she discovered Jeff had been with Britta only moments before.

Shaking her head, she realized the blue dress represented silly girlish dreams, back when she thought a flutter in her stomach meant true love.

The other time Jeff had kissed her, she'd been wearing her Debate Club uniform. There was no way she was wearing that to an interview. It screamed teenage nerd. Sighing, Annie realized it was hopeless. Maybe she should just wear her sweater-and-skirt combo, and get used to the fact that she looked like a high school student.

Turning around, a flash of fabric caught her eye. It was the dress she'd worn to Jeff's lawyer party, when Troy and Abed had gone with her to find proof of his friend's betrayal. The dress stuck out in her memory because it was the first time she'd seen Abed check out any woman, which oddly enough happened to have been her. She had been offended at first to catch him staring at her breasts, but then later was secretly pleased that she had been the one to get through his detached demeanor.

"It must mean _something_ if that dress made Abed remember he's a human male," she said to herself.

Donning the dress, she twirled around. It really did look good; feminine, but not slutty. Professional, but not stuffy. Her hair was in her traditional pinned-back style, brown locks flowing down her back. Her makeup was a bit more enhanced than her usual school-look, with heavier eyeliner and some bronze shadow to bring out the blue in her eyes. Pink lips finished the look, and she left her cheeks bare.

Grabbing her keys, Annie rushed for the door. She had a reputation for being early, and she wasn't about to stop now. The drive flew by, and she couldn't even remember if she had stopped at the light.

When she reached the school's parking lot, Annie took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She had wanted to do some research on Harry's company, but hadn't had a chance. As soon as she received the call, she had raced home to get ready physically. The search for the perfect outfit had taken an embarrassingly long time, and her internet wasn't working. Now that she thought about it, the internet bill might be past due...

 _All the more reason you need this job,_ she reminded herself. Head held high, she walked into the cafeteria. Despite the late hour, there were groups of students eating and studying, scattered among the booths and café tables. It gave her a warm feeling inside, seeing her community filled and bustling. Greendale was quickly becoming a second home for her.

Towards the East entrance, a man caught her eye. He was seated at a short square table, the chair across from him angled towards her. She immediately noticed the resemblance to Rich, the similarity growing when he smiled at her. Like Rich, Harry was tall enough to look authoritative, but not intimidating. His build was slight, if maybe a bit rounder than Rich had been. But they had the same brown hair and friendly, open face. He was wearing a suit, and she felt better about her own choice in attire.

"Annie?" He said as he stood up.

"You must be Harry, it's great to meet you." She wrung her hands nervously. Should she sit? Shake his hand? She wished she was more experienced with this kind of thing.

"Relax," he said, laughing, and sat back down in his char. He gestured for her to take a seat across from him. She sank into it as gracefully as her nerves allowed. "You already got the job."

She wrinkled her nose in confusion. "I did?"

"I mean, I had to see you first, obviously, but I can tell in seconds." Harry leaned back, resting his hand on the back of the chair next to him.

Annie felt her polite smile tightening into something less genuine, but tried not to let it show.

"So," he began, leaning forward and speaking hurriedly, "the convention starts at 7:00 on Friday night, and we'll want you there by 6. You’ll have a badge, just show it to security at the door. The product this time is G-6 Energy Drink, have you tried it?"

She shook her head. Her mind was racing, trying to keep up with Rich's brother. His energy was a lot more fast paced than the easy-going doctor. _Marketing,_ she reminded herself. "So you’re advertising energy drinks?"

“I am this week,” he said with a smug smile. “Usually someone approaches my company with a product they want to sell, and then I go through an agency to get the appropriate people. I'm a little short this month on talent, so I was relieved when Rich recommended you."

Annie blushed at the compliment, while wondering how he could know she was talented. "But how am I supposed to promote something that I know nothing about? And who am I promoting it to? Isn't advertising about knowing the consumer?" She cut herself off before her inquisitive nature got the better of her.

"Sorry, I sometimes forget that not everyone is in the same business." Harry gave her an encouraging smile. He seemed to slow down a bit, noticing her unease. "We'll be promoting it at the Comic Convention this weekend. It's a 3-day event, and we'll need you all weekend. Will that be a problem? I know you attend here," he gestured vaguely at the school.

She shook her head; her classes were over by 3:00 on Fridays anyway. "No, my weekends are free."

"Anyway, you don't have to know anything about the product or the consumer,” he said, shaking his head. “You’re just getting people to try it. Sound simple enough?"

Considering it, Annie paused. She didn't know anything about G-6, and the Comic Convention was only something she had heard mentioned once in passing. Annie’s heart was racing with anxiety- how could she pass a test she hadn’t studied for?

Still, Harry was looking at her so encouragingly, and it really sounded like he needed her help. Plus, she really needed a job. _Take a chance, Edison_ , she scolded herself.

At her nod, Harry pulled out a small, plastic-wrapped package. "Here's the uniform. For hair and make-up, just keep what you have now. Some of the girls go over the top into porn-star territory, but it's not necessary. I mean, we're selling energy drinks, not sports cars. You know?"

Annie felt the smile freeze on her face at the word porn-star, and her eyes drifted down to the "uniform". Opening it slowly, she pulled out a shiny purple scrap of fabric that was supposed to be a top, and a pair of black hot pants. The entire outfit was barely bigger than her hands!

"I don't understand," she said. She knew her smile looked more like a grimace now, trying not to show her panic. What the hell was this? Who did he think she was? Yes, Annie was desperate for work, but she still had some dignity! She couldn't believe that Rich's brother wanted her to walk around in public in this.

"What's not to get?" Harry asked. "It's marketing 101. I mean, men will try anything if a gorgeous babe offers it to them. Picture it: some comic nerd tries the drink this weekend, in complete disbelief that a hot chick is even looking at him. Then, the next time he sees the product in the store, he remembers the sexy woman who first introduced it. It's fool-proof. All you have to do is stand there and look hot."

"I..." Annie searched for the right words. She could feel her face flush red, but whether from anger or embarrassment, she wasn't sure. Her mind was still stuck on the word "sexy". Was she supposed to be the sexy woman in that example? Maybe if he’d put the adjective “cute” or “adorable” or “like a sister” in front of it…

“There's been some sort of mistake,” she said finally, standing up. “I'm sorry, I don't think this is going to work out."

Too shocked to even register Harry’s dumbfounded expression, she turned and raced out of the cafeteria.

 _The nerve of him!_ Annie thought. Her whole body was shaking as she made her way through the parking lot to her car. It took her several minutes to calm her breathing enough to get the keys in the door. What had Rich been thinking, recommending her for something like that? Did he really think she was the kind of girl who wore outfits like that? Why would he even consider her for it?

Putting her car in reverse, Annie tore across the pavement. Rich had told her she was too young to date him, and that he saw her as a girl, not a woman. Yet he obviously didn't think she was too young to sell products with her body! Did that mean that Rich thought she was sexy?

She snorted to herself. No one had ever found her sexy. Cute, adorable, or pretty, but never sexy. Rich must not have known the kind of advertising his brother did, she decided. He'd never have suggested it otherwise.

Her cheeks burned when she remembered the outfit. Harry hadn't thought there'd be a problem with her, though. Why was that? Did he somehow see something that every other man in her life didn't? She shook her head. No, he must have just been desperate for girls, and it wasn't like she was ugly. He probably saw a wholesome, pretty girl who'd fit into the clothes, and thought she'd be fine in a pinch. All that talk of "hot" and "sexy" must have just been manipulation.

Once again, her foolish naivety had gotten in her way. What would Jeff say if he knew about that interview? He'd probably think she was in over her head, trying to be something she wasn't. _"Go back to your sweaters and highlighters,"_ she could hear him say.

By the time Annie pulled up to her apartment, her anger and embarrassment had somewhat faded, and disappointment set in. She trudged up the stairs, hearing the Dildopolis advertisements blaring through the thin walls. She made it to her door before letting a few tears fall down her cheeks. Scrubbing them away, she undid the several locks and headed straight for the bathroom. Annie needed to get this extra eyeliner off her face and get into her fuzziest and most childish pajamas. Allowing herself this one night of self-pity, she resolved that tomorrow, she’d resume the job hunt.


	2. Secret Identity Crisis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annie sees how she is perceived by different members of her study group

Friday morning dawned earlier than usual, and Annie was forced to drag herself out of bed. Upon seeing her face in the mirror, she grimaced. She hadn't slept so well, and the blue tinge under her eyes proved it. All she wanted was to soak under the hot spray of her shower, and drink a tall cup of coffee.

Unfortunately, she was out of coffee grounds, and her shower ran cold only five minutes into it. Rinsing her hair in the freezing water, she added the water bill to her list of financial worries. Once out of the shower and shivering in her towel, she combed the tangles out and flipped her hair over her head to blow-dry it into an acceptable state.

She brushed her teeth vigorously, and threw on the first miniskirt and sweater combination she saw. One more glance in the mirror, and Annie forced a smile. Yesterday hadn't gone as well as she had hoped, but that didn't mean that today wouldn't be better. Her mother had always told her to look on the bright side, and that was what she was going to do. Heaving her large backpack onto her shoulders, Annie set out for a new day.

Arriving at school just in time for her first class, Annie slipped into the seat between the only other two study-group members enrolled: Shirley and Abed. She often spent the morning studying in the library, so it wasn't unusual for her to be the last to show up.

Taking out her pencil and notebook, she tried to forget about yesterday and focus on schoolwork. It took less than a minute for her plan to fail.

"You left early yesterday," Abed said, without looking up. His normally monotonous voice held a tiny hint of inflection. "We were still studying."

Annie looked up sharply. Was Abed upset with her? It was hard to tell, especially when he was staring at his desk. She knew continuity was important to her friend, and she felt a bit bad for upsetting his routine.

"What he _means_ to say," said Shirley, "is everything alright? It's not like you to abandon the group in the middle of a study session."

Annie smiled. It was nice to have people who worried, even if it was served with a helping of guilt from her motherly friend. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm sorry, you guys, I know I haven't been totally focused recently."

"You've been different," Abed stated. "You're taking bribes and skipping study meetings. That's not normal Annie behavior."

Shirley shot her a look that obviously said ' _And Abed's the judge of normal?'_ "Don't worry about it, honey. We finished just fine without you."

Shaking her head, Annie had to agree with Abed. It wasn't like her, but she didn't want to get into it now. Searching for a change in topic, she tried to remember what he and Troy had been working on the day before. "What's up with you and Troy? Are you working on a project?"

Abed grinned and wagged his eyebrows. "It's almost ready. All we need-"

The trio were interrupted by the professor's arrival, and Annie lost herself in learning. She was proud of herself for only drifting off topic a few times during the lecture.

As soon as they were dismissed, Abed waved goodbye, explaining he had to meet Troy in the library. Shirley walked with Annie to her next class.

"You know you can talk to me if you need to, right Annie?" Her friend gave her a searching look. "I might have my boys to look after, but that doesn't mean I can't spare a few moments for you."

Annie smiled. "That's really sweet, Shirley," she said, touching her arm. "I've been under a lot of pressure lately, but I'm hoping it will get better soon. In fact, I'm looking for a job!"

"Really?" Shirley said, with a frown. "With all the other things you're doing? I just don't know, girl. You've got enough on your plate. Why don't you just wait until graduation? Trust me, soon enough you'll have a husband and two kids and be busy working every minute of the day!"

Shirley patted her on the back, and continued on with a sigh, "Enjoy your childhood while you can. You kids are in too big of a rush to grow up. Just focus on school, and be happy. Oh!" She took her now buzzing phone out of her purse and glanced at it. "I have to take this- it's day care."

Shirley rushed off in the opposite direction, leaving Annie in front of her classroom, a scowl on her face.

S _o now it's not just the men in my life who think I'm a child,_ she thought, _It's Shirley too!_

Annie didn't get it. She was just as old as Troy, and acted a hell of a lot more mature! Why did everyone insist on treating her like a child? She already had a mother, and she didn't need Shirley acting as a second one.

Annie realized her fists were clenched. Shirley's words had reminded her so much of her own mother's lectures when she was younger. Lots of other girls had jobs in high school, yet her mom was always telling her to focus on academics. Well, look where that had gotten her: a pill addiction and zero friends.

Thinking back on all her accomplishments, she couldn't believe that Shirley didn't think her capable of holding down a job at the same time as school. Snorting to herself, she thought, _it's not like I have a boyfriend to get in the way of it all either!_

Still fuming, she threw her backpack down at her usual desk. Forensics 202 was fulfilling her science requirement this semester, although none of the other study members had chosen this class with her. At the moment, she was glad to feel their absence, as she couldn’t guarantee she wouldn’t snap at them. She felt like taking her anger out on anyone who so much as looked at her.

Luckily, she was well-prepared for the day's lecture, and could have taken notes in her sleep. Letting her mind drift, she tuned out Professor Arnett’s droning voice. Somehow, the professor managed to make crime scenes boring.

Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by their excitable Dean Pelton. "Hello everybody!" he caroled, sashaying into the classroom. Dressed in his usual short-sleeves and tie, he was accompanied by two young women in cheerleading uniforms.

Immediately, all eyes were on the newcomers. Both blondes, they seemed as if they belonged in a country music video. Big hair, big smiles, and big boobs seemed to be the theme, and they could not have looked more out of place at plain Greendale. Annie wondered idly how hard it had been for the dean to abstain from wearing his own cheerleading outfit.

The uniforms were similar to the ones Annie remembered from high school; a top with thick straps, and a pleated skirt that ended mid-thigh. Unlike their teenage counterparts, however, there were several inches of skin between the top and skirt, and instead of the school's initials, there was a flaming basketball emblazoned on their chests.

"As many of you have heard, our town is getting its very own basketball team!" The dean's grin faded as he realized there were no sports fans in the forensics class. Annie noticed the cheerleaders on either side of him never moved a facial muscle from their huge smiles.

"Thank you, Dean Pelton," Professor Arnett said, clearly annoyed at the interruption. "But I believe Colorado already has the Denver Nuggets. Now, let's return our attention to-"

"Well, yes," the dean interjected, scowling. "That's the NBA. This is the American Basketball League." Again, the dean's announcement was met with more blank stares. Greendale wasn't known for it's sports fanatics. "Really, you people could try learning something once in a while!"

The forensics professor cleared his throat and mumbled something which sounded suspiciously like " _Well if you'd let me teach_...", but the dean ignored him.

"The Greendale Gators may be new, but we have a lot of spirit!" The cheerleader on the right spoke up in a bright, perky voice. "And our doors are always open."

Annie rolled her eyes- Gators? Didn't they realize this was Colorado, not Florida?

Her partner nodded enthusiastically. "We want everyone in Greendale to be a part of this! That's why we're offering season tickets at a discount price!"

"Just $67.99 and you can be a part of Greendale history!" The first blonde finished, in what sounded like a well-rehearsed speech. She took a clipboard from the dean, and smiled brightly. "Now, who would like to sign up?"

A dozen students stood up immediately and rushed to the cheerleaders. Professor Arnett threw his hands up and fell back behind his desk, clearly giving up. Dean Pelton glowed with pride, and Annie wondered cynically how much of a cut he was getting from the ticket sales.

Watching it all from her desk, Annie had to admire the open manipulation. She had seen girls like that in high school use their looks to their advantage daily. All they had to do was bat their eyelashes, and some idiot would come running to do their homework.

Years ago, as a high schooler, it had angered her. It seemed no matter how hard she tried in her classes, how many dances she volunteered to decorate, or how many committees she spearheaded, she gained absolutely no power during her four years. It had hurt, watching those confident beauties waltz in and take over the school like a pack of lipsticked dictators.

Now, however, that anger and bitterness was just a twinge of its former glory. Annie had friends now who loved and respected her. They didn't care that she was more cute than sexy. She even had a bit of power in the group. She had tried her hand at manipulation more than few times, and found that something as simple as telling someone she was his friend could get a person to do things. And eventually, their genuine affection and friendship allowed her to give up the need for that kind of social influence.

Emboldened with her own powers and influence, Annie simply packed up her bag and sailed past the cheerleaders. The class was clearly over, and her energy was better spent elsewhere.

It was a little early for lunch, but she was hungry already and decided to head back to the cafeteria. It made her a bit uncomfortable going into the same room where she had been offered the hot pants, but she had plenty of other memories to lean on.

Seeing Britta at their usual table, Annie headed over to sit with her.

"Hey," Britta said casually, looking up from her hummus plate. "Bell pepper?" She offered.

Annie took the snack and munched on it while she brought her peanut butter sandwich out of her backpack. Money was tight, and she didn't have the budget for school lunches like her older classmates.

"What gives with the disappearing act?" the blonde said, once Annie had settled into her seat.

Annie fought the urge to roll her eyes. First Shirley and Abed, and now Britta? It wasn't like studying was the only thing she did! She could leave to do other things without her friends starting a search committee!

"I had a job interview," she said. While she had skirted the issue with her other two friends, she felt this was something Britta could understand. "But it didn't go well."

"Yeah, it's a tough job market," Britta nodded sagely. "I'm sure you'll get it next time."

For some reason, Annie didn't correct Britta's assumption that she had failed the interview. She wasn't sure why- of all people, Britta would understand turning something down on principle. Still, it just didn't feel like the right time, and she tried to change the topic.

"Did you have those Gator cheerleaders in your classes today?"

Her friend snorted and made a face. "Ugh. Can you believe that? What kind of woman sells out her own gender just to make a few dollars? It's disgusting. Really, I don't know how they can look at themselves in the mirror each day."

"Well it's not all on the girls," Annie defended, trying to be fair. "It wouldn't work if the guys weren't willing to spend their money and buy the tickets."

"That just means that men are even dumber. It's like when we were raising money for the oil spill our first year, you remember? All those guys threw money at you, just because you wore a tight t-shirt and batted your eyelashes. And that was just with the cute-and-innocent Girl Next Door shtick. Just imagine if you had the sex-factor like those cheerleaders!"

Annie frowned. One more reminder that she wasn't considered an adult with sex appeal. Having all those guys throw donations had been one of the higher points in her memory. It was one reminder that she was more than a brainiac good-girl. Apparently, it still wasn't good enough.

"Oh, I know you didn't mean it that way," Britta continued after her silence. "We both learned a valuable lesson after our wrestling match. Plus, it was for a good cause- not like selling tickets to a pointless sporting event."

"I don't think there's anything wrong with using all their available resources. Those cheerleaders are just promoting our town's team. If people don't buy season tickets, they'll be out of a job."

"Well, good! I'd rather be homeless than compromise my positions! Shaking my goodies just for a few bucks? Please," Britta scoffed. "I actually _respect_ myself."

Thinking about her own financial situation, Annie replied, "If I had a job, I know I wouldn't mind talking to a few college students just to keep it."

"Well, good thing you didn't get offered the job, then, huh?"

Annie inhaled sharply, her eyes watering. She looked away, not wanting Britta to see how hurt she was, but it was too late.

"Ohmigosh, Annie, I'm so sorry," Britta said, reaching out clumsily. "You know I'm no good at this stuff. Sometimes things just come out of my mouth."

Her friend's eyes looked sincere, and Annie could tell she really felt bad. Still, her feelings were sore, and she pulled back her hand. "That's no excuse, Britta," she said shakily. "That was really mean."

"I'm sorry," the blonde repeated. "I'm the worst, I know. How can I make it up to you?"

With a sigh, Annie nodded. "It's fine, Britta. I'm just gonna go." She could tell the other woman wanted to say more, but she didn't have the energy to hear it.

* * *

Troy had dance practice at 2:00, so Abed was alone in the library, working on his costume sketches. It was going to be a thing of beauty, and he was excited to get back to their apartment and put the finishing touches on it. He had promised Troy they'd do it together, so he was stuck there for another hour.

To be honest, the sketches were pointless as he'd already finished most of it, but Abed had nothing better to do. His mind wandering, he realized he heard some sniffling from the children's section. With nothing else to do, he thought he might as well go see what was going on. Tears were usually a precursor to melodrama, and he'd kick himself if he missed something good.

Edging around the corner, he saw a familiar brown head of hair, and before he knew it, he was sitting beside his friend, his arm around her trembling shoulders.

Annie's red-rimmed eyes looked up at him, surprised, and Abed felt himself a bit shocked at his own actions as well. He wasn't the comforting-type, yet here he was, holding the prettiest girl he knew while she cried as quietly as possible.

Realizing she was trying to follow the library rules by staying silent, Abed pulled his friend up by the hand and led her into their usual study room. Closing the door, Abed sat in the chair next to her and stared at his friend, as her quiet sniffles grew into louder sobs. He was glad she could let it out, as those near-silent sobs in the library had hurt something inside of him, and he reached out to hold her hand. Abed didn't know what to say, so he stayed quiet.

After a minute, Annie got herself together and rubbed at her face, using the sleeve of her cardigan to wipe her tears. She gave him a shaky grin, and squeezed his hand. "Thanks, Abed," she said, her voice hoarse from crying. "I think I needed that."

"Needed what?" Abed said, confused.

Annie shrugged. "I don't know. A good cry? A friend to sit with me? It doesn't matter, I feel better now anyway." She looked down at their intertwined hands, before pulling her own back into her lap. "You're a good friend."

Abed was glad to hear it- he thought he was doing what good friends did, but he wasn't always sure. It was good to have it confirmed. He liked clear direction.

"Why were you crying?"

"It's stupid," Annie said. He knew she wanted to tell him anyway, though, so he waited for her to say more.

"It's just... I want to be independent and strong, but everyone sees me as this naive kid. And it's confusing because I don't know what I am or what I want. Sometimes, I feel like an adult, like I can handle anything life throws at me. But then I go and cry in a corner, and I'm back to being a kid again. I can't have it both ways, can I? I can't be the sexy college student _and_ a scared little girl." She sighed, and shrugged. "Maybe it's just easier to be the innocent kid that everyone sees me as, because the truth is, I'm scared to do anything different."

Another tear leaked from her eye, and Annie didn't seem to notice. Without thinking, Abed brushed it away. Her cheek was so soft. He didn't understand where all of her angst was coming from, but he could relate to the identity crisis. His friends and family often treated him as if he wasn’t all there mentally, just because he liked to do things his own way. He knew some people thought he couldn't make completely adult decisions, or that he couldn't handle serious problems, but he didn't mind. Abed knew who he was really, and that was all that mattered.

"You know, it's kind of tragic," he said, looking at the hand that had touched her cheek. "Everyone thinks Bruce Wayne is this superficial idiot, who only cares about cars and women. And he has to keep it that way, too. He works so hard to make it completely unbelievable that he could be the kind of person who would risk his life every night fighting evil- but it's true. Underneath his superficial playboy image is the Dark Knight, and the only one who knows is Alfred."

A line grew between Annie's eyebrows, and Abed inferred that she wasn't following his metaphor. "You're like Bruce Wayne," he explained. "You let everyone see one side of you, so it's really hard for them to believe you could be anyone else. But I've seen it- I've seen your Dark Knight, and I know it's possible."

"You have?" Annie asked, looking up at him.

"Tons of times," he nodded. How could she be so blind to the amazing facets of her identity? He guessed that other people just weren't as attuned to themselves as he was, so he spelled it out for her. "And the more you practice, the easier it will become. Batman wasn't a pro the first time he donned the mask, you know. He made mistakes. But eventually, he figured it out. And you will too."

Abed was glad to see her lips turn into a smile, and he mirrored her expression. He didn't like seeing her sad. Suddenly, her arms were around him in that famous Annie Edison hug that he loved so much.

"Thank you, Abed," she mumbled into his shoulder.

"I helped?" he asked, just to be clear.

He felt her nod, and heard her chuckle softly against his chest. She drew away slowly, until their faces were even with each other and he could feel her breath on his face. Her eyes were so blue, Abed didn't think he'd ever seen that exact color anywhere else before. His heart was beating fast, and he swore it stopped as her tongue darted out to lick her lips.

Abed was afraid he'd do something without thinking, and felt a mixture of relief and disappointment as they were suddenly interrupted by a door swinging open.

"Troy and Abed in the Liiiii-brary!" his friend sung out.

Annie quickly pulled away, blushing, and Abed was glad he wasn't the only one affected by the moment. If Troy noticed their closeness, he didn't mention it.

"Ready to go?" He asked his roommate.

"Hell yeah!" Troy exclaimed. "Let's go home and prepare! I'm so psyched for tomorrow. You wanna stay up all night?"

Abed shook his head. "No, we need to be rested. We'll be walking around all day."

While they talked, Annie strapped on her backpack and waved goodbye. On her way out, she squeezed Abed's arm, a private acknowledgement of thanks. He nodded his head to her, then headed the opposite direction with Troy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first Community fic to get comments! I am beyond thrilled :) It means a lot to know there are other Annie and Abed shippers out there. Thank you!


	3. Mystery Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Comicon weekend begins

Annie had gone insane- that was the only explanation. Why else would she be standing in the bathroom of the Greendale Convention Center in hot pants and half of a t-shirt? Admittedly, it fit her perfectly, the fabric hugging her curves like a sports car on a highway. She had never seen herself looking so sexy before... and she didn't know what to think of it. Her mind was coming up with how her friends would react, and she wondered how on earth she had ended up in this position.

It was all Abed's fault, for telling her she could be anything she wanted.  
And it was Britta's fault for telling her she wasn't sexy.  
And Shirley's fault for calling her a child.  
And Rich's fault for suggesting the job in the first place!  
Either way, it definitely wasn't Annie's fault that she was half-naked, debating whether or not to go through with this crazy idea.

After her chat with Abed, Annie had called Harry. Over the phone, she told him she had changed her mind and would love to help promote the new energy drink. Rich’s brother sounded relieved, and told her to meet him at the Convention Center that afternoon. Before she knew it, she had driven to the address, questioning her sanity.

The building was already full of people setting up their booths; Annie had bypassed the hordes of men and women standing in line outside, and used the employee's entrance to meet Harry. He handed her the small package again, and winked at her.

"Told ya you were perfect!" he said encouragingly. "Now go change. We're in the Grand Hall B, on the right. Great location- you can't miss us!"

A silent nod, and Annie had rushed to change her clothes. She had taken Harry's advice and kept her hair and makeup simple. The top displayed her cleavage nicely, and the hotpants luckily covered everything that needed covering.

"You don't have to be Bruce Wayne," she said to herself. "You can be Batman if you want." She tried waggling her eyebrows like Abed, but it wasn't quite the same. Pushing her shoulders back and lifting her head up high, Annie left the bathroom, determined to be someone new.

She wound her way across the Convention Center, following the signs for the Grand Hall. People were swarming all around her, dressed in anything from sweats and stained t-shirts to full costumes complete with blinking lights and giant swords. Her neck craned to try and see everything- she had no idea there would be so many people there! Panic threatened to rise in her throat, but she remembered Abed's confidence in her and she pushed it back down again.

Trying to cross an aisle way, she nearly tripped over an alien's 9-foot spiked tail.  
"Sorry!" She called out, but the man had already disappeared into the crowd. Annie began to feel a bit better about her outfit- after all, to her left there was a woman wearing nothing but body paint and a helmet!

Two large doors opened up into the Grand Hall, and Annie searched for the G6 booth. A flash of purple caught her eye, and she spun around to catch it. "Excuse me!"

The woman in the matching outfit stopped, and locked eyes with Annie. She smiled and reached out to grab her elbow. "You must be the third girl! C'mon, we started an hour ago."

Annie tried to keep up with the long-legged woman. Like Annie, she had long brown hair, but her skin was much more tan, her dark eyes rimmed with black liner. She oozed sex appeal, and Annie couldn't help but feel a bit out of place.

"I'm Grace, by the way. I don't recognize you, are you from Stellar too?" Her voice was brisk but friendly.

"Stellar?" Annie asked, as they arrived at the G6 booth. It was relatively small compared to the surrounding booths, but decorated with loud colors and large print encouraging people to _"Fly with G6"_.

"The modeling agency? I guess not." Grace released Annie's arm, and gestured to the other woman. "This is Trisha, we worked the con together last year." Trisha was taller than both Grace and Annie, with long elegant limbs and blonde hair that fell to her waist, curled into perfectly tousled waves.

As the blonde shook her hand, Annie suddenly felt dizzy. What was she doing here, with these two models? Surely there had been a mistake. She was just a nerdy teenager, barely out of braces. Why would they ever assume she was like them? She suddenly wished there was a hole she could curl up in.

Before she could run away, Grace was pushing a small paper cup into her hand. "This is the new Orange Fuel flavor. Just offer it to the next person." Her words left no room for argument.

Shoving down panic, Annie scanned the people around her. There were so many of them, and they were all walking so fast! How was she supposed to get anyone to stop and drink something?

"What would Batman do?" she whispered, then rolled her eyes. Batman was a crime fighter, not a silly girl hawking drinks. When she really thought about it, it didn't sound that hard. It's not like she had to take down bad guys!

  
Summoning her courage, she reached out to the next body that passed by. It was a young man who looked like he was around her age. "Would you like to try an energy drink?" she asked, smiling.

* * *

Annie's self-esteem tank was filling up quickly. After a few minutes of handing out drinks, she had realized that it wasn't so scary. All she had to do was smile and be friendly. And not a single person had laughed at her! Honestly, she kept expecting someone to come up to her and tell her she was in the wrong spot. Looking around at the two gorgeous women beside her, it was still hard to believe she belonged with them. Still, she felt her insecurities fall away, until she began to believe in herself.

The crowds were growing by the minute. All around her, Annie was surrounded by men and women, kids and teens who were proud to be who they were. She loved seeing all the costumes, and it was obvious how much work they had put into it.

At first, she would have thought they'd be embarrassed by painting themselves blue and wearing ears and a tail, but now she realized that it didn't matter. The people at the convention were confident in who they were, and were just happy to be there. The atmosphere was contagious, and Annie loved it.

So far Grace and Trisha had attracted the most customers, but Annie wasn't far behind. She admired how they flirted effortlessly, and didn't seem self-conscious about all the skin they were showing.

"Are you kidding?" Grace had scoffed when Annie remarked upon her ease. "Like I have anything to show anyway. I wish I had your rack." She eyed Annie's cleavage admiringly.

"You don't get too many complaints, from what I hear," Trisha admonished in a teasing voice. "So you're flat as a brick wall. Who cares? It's how you use it that matters." She leaned over the table, swaying her hips to make a point. “Use what you got, girls.”

Annie smiled, uplifted by the girls' words. She thought of her friend Abed, who never seemed to care if he fit the standard or not. She remembered when he bought his Indiana Jones whip, and how excited he was. He hadn't seemed to mind that he didn't have the barrel-chested muscles or chin stubble of Harrison Ford- he simply channeled the sexy dangerous attitude of Indy when he carried the length of rope. She blushed as she realized she had just described Abed as sexy.

 _Oh well,_ she thought, _if cute, adorable Annie can be sexy, why not Abed?_

A few hours later, Harry made his way through the crowd. He was pulling a hand truck piled high with more boxes of the energy drink. "Hey Annie, how has it been so far?"

"Great!" She smiled. "Thanks so much for giving me the chance."

"Well, it's time for a break. Grace and Trisha, you were here first- why don't you take your break now, while Annie holds down the booth by herself?"

The girls nodded gratefully while Harry unloaded the boxes. When he was done, Annie was left alone. She felt a sense of ownership over the booth, and was excited to command it on her own.

All day she had been practicing being someone new, and without the supervision of the other girls, she decided to take it a step further. She was going to use her feminine wiles and _flirt,_ gosh darnit!

"Hey there!" She called out to a man in a green morph suit. She winced at the high pitched girl voice she had used. Trying out a lower octave, she aimed for sultry, "Want to try some G6?"

The person continued walking as if he hadn't heard. Old Annie would have felt rejected, but the new one was so high on confidence that she didn't care. She tried again at the next person who was slowly making their way down the aisle.

She assumed the attendee was a man, but it was hard to tell. He was dressed head to toe in plastic-looking metal armor, painted a dark red with yellow accents. He wore a mask over his head that covered nearly everything, with glowing eyes and a thin line for a mouth. The robot’s expression was grim and serious, but she reminded herself that there was a regular person inside.

"Hello, handsome," she purred, trying out a voice like Trisha's. "You look like you could use a refresher."

The robotic man paused mid-stride, and slowly turned towards her. If it were possible for someone to have swagger inside pounds of metal, he somehow accomplished it.

"I thought you'd never ask," came the echoey voice inside the helmet. It didn’t sound like a mechanical voice modulator, but rather human and male. Still, the metal surrounding his face created a muffled and distorted speech.

"Have you worked up a thirst today?" Annie asked, reaching out to stroke the metal plating on his arm. She was surprised, it felt sturdier than she had imagined. She had assumed it was made out of aluminum, but it was clear this person had worked hard on his costume. The glowing bright circle on his chest looked as if it was lit from within, and she wondered how he had managed to wire it.

"Maybe," he replied, with a hint of arrogance in his voice. This man definitely had confidence to spare. "I'm pretty choosy about what I put in my body, though. This baby is a prime functioning machine, and it only takes the best." He gestured briefly at his suit.

"Well you've come to the right place!" Annie said, trying to dial back on the perky. _Cool and sexy_ , she reminded herself. "I have some G6 energy drink, you know, like the jet?"

"I'm used to my 737 back home," he said casually. "It's fully equipped."

 _C’mon Annie, go for sexy_ , she admonished herself. Looking up at the robot man through her eyelashes, she asked, “And this suit you're wearing... I assume it's also fully equipped?"

"Honey, all of me is equipped and ready to go. Just give me a time and a place." He reached out a gloved hand and took the cup from her, brushing her fingers on the way. Heat rushed to Annie's face. He was flirting with _her_! She felt powerful and womanly. All she could think of was chasing this feeling.

Encouraged by his words, Annie decided to take a chance. "Well... my break is in an hour."

The metal-covered man's hand paused mid air, the cup frozen in space. For the first time, Annie thought she saw a crack in his confident attitude. Color rushed to her face. Had she gone too far? Maybe he had just been teasing her. She felt stupid, of course he wasn’t _actually_ interested in her.

"Or," she stumbled, "I mean, you've probably got other events to go to. I hear there's a panel in the main auditorium later. So I understand-"

A gloved finger pressed against her lips, stopping Annie's stream of babble. "Meet me outside, by the East Gate," he said. "You bring the drinks."

A smile bloomed on Annie's face, and she nodded. The armored man tilted his head at her and walked away, his swagger fully restored.

Her heart raced- had she really just made a date with a complete stranger? She hadn't even seen his face! But as she thought of the memory of his voice, slightly distorted from his helmet, and the feel of his gloved hand against her skin, she decided she didn't care. He exuded sexual confidence, and that matched this new Annie. She wasn't going to hold herself back because of what she had been told "should" be or what she was supposed to want. Her body was telling her she wanted to see more of this mysterious man, and she was going to do it!

Her smile back in place, Annie returned her attention to the crowd, wondering what her mystery man was doing, and hoping that the next hour would fly by.

* * *

Earlier that morning, Abed had woken up full of energy and purpose. Today he was going to be one of his favorite characters: Tony Stark. Well, technically he was going to be Iron Man, but the two were pretty hard to separate. The playboy genius had such a big personality that it came through his metal suit, unlike that of Bruce Wayne or Clark Kent. Abed had been studying Stark's customary swagger and bravado all week, and was confident he could pull it off.

With a sigh, he realized the only thing that was missing was a Pepper Potts, all prim and proper and encouraging him to be responsible. While other fans might see her as annoying filler, Abed understood that someone like Stark needed a level-headed counter balance so that the audience could remember that he was human, just like them.

Despite missing a Pepper, Abed still had high hopes for the day. After all, his best friend Troy was going as Iron Monger! He was proud of his friend; getting Troy to concentrate for that long on a costume so complicated was pretty hard, but they had managed to do it together.

Abed's costume was very detailed, and had required hours of getting the armor plating to lie right. On the other hand, Troy's was difficult due to its sheer mass. Iron Monger was supposed to tower over Iron Man, and be absolutely terrifying. The glowing circle was twice as big on the villain's chest, and it had needed some tricky wiring.

Standing outside the Convention Center, Abed made sure he had his badge out and ready. It irked him to be forced to wear the name tag, as it interfered with the integrity of his costume. Still, he understood that he needed to play by the rules to get in, and he was willing to do anything to get inside.

"Do we really need to wear these?" his best friend echoed his thoughts. "It totally messes with my bad-assness."

Abed smiled under his mask, and wondered for the millionth time if telepathy was possible between him and Troy. "As soon as we're past the gates, I say we hide them."

The giant next to him nodded, and they proceeded together.

They had a number of events they both wanted to check out, and spent the entire morning running from room to room. Abed had planned everything so that they would get the most out of it, and wouldn't miss a thing. Troy followed along, eagerly sharing in the joy and chaos around them.

More than a few attendees stopped to ask for a photo of the robotic pair, which Abed and Troy were happy to oblige. They had already practiced their poses so that their characters would be perfectly in sync, and taking turns with who got to be the one attacking. Several other Marvel cosplayers were around, but Abed and Troy had too tight of a morning schedule to peel off and interact with them.

At one o'clock they took a break for some pizza. It felt good to take the masks off, and they both sighed as they settled their weight onto a wooden bench. Abed never knew it would be so hot inside the iron suit!

"How psyched are you for the Kick-Puncher comic launch?" Troy asked, while stuffing an entire slice into his mouth.

"It looks like it will be horrible,” Abed said in between gulps of a bottle of water. “I can't wait."

"What time does the booth open?"

Abed flipped open a latch on his forearm where he had the schedule hidden. "Four."

"Sweet!” Troy pumped his fist. “We head there now and get in line, and BAM! We get first dibs on-"

"It says here they don't allow a line to form prior to it," Abed interrupted.

"Shoot,” Troy frowned around his mouthful of pizza. “So what are we gonna do?"

"Hover around the area where a line would have formed were it allowed?”

Troy grinned. Abed knew he could count on his friend to bend a few rules. "So," he said, Troy’s voice turning hesitant. "I heard about this new video game series they're making, and they're having a preview screening at 2..."

"With Deion Sanders, I know," Abed said tersely. While he and Troy were evenly matched in most areas, they differed on a few important topics. Football was a major part of Troy's history, whereas Abed couldn't care less. He usually tried to forget the fact that Troy had been a popular jock in high school, instead of being shoved in a locker like Abed. Dwelling on their different backgrounds only seemed to drive them apart. Instead, he preferred to think about their shared interests. Still, sometimes Troy's other half reared its head, and Abed tried his best to be gracious about it.

"It's just, he's my hero, you know?” Troy said, wiping the pizza grease from his hands onto the bench underneath him. “And he never comes to Colorado! It could be my one chance to show him my skills."

Abed nodded absently, already thinking of what he would do without his friend for a few hours. "It's fine. Bye."

He stood from the bench and quickly walked away, jamming his Iron Man helmet back on. The beginnings of a panic attack were forming in his chest, and he didn’t want to let it grow any bigger. Thinking about Troy deviating from their day was hurting, and he needed a distraction fast.

Winding his way through the crowds, Abed scanned the booths for something interesting. Almost three hours to fill and not much was left of the convention to explore. He and Troy had spent the entire morning in workshops and screenings, and this was his first time he’d paid any attention to the vendors. It seemed there was a multitude of products being showcased, very few of which had anything to do with comic culture. He passed by a few booths selling craft paints for D&D figurines, vendors selling corsets for cosplayers, and different phone app companies. Nothing really caught his interest enough to stop. The noise and colors and lights and people were overwhelming in a way that didn’t happen when he was with Troy. The anxiety was rising up out of his chest when he was stopped.

"Hello handsome," a sultry voice beckoned him.

Turning at the sound, Abed's eyes widened when he saw Annie. She had the same shiny hair and bright blue eyes, but everything else had changed.

Remembering that she couldn't see his face, Abed allowed himself a moment to scan her full body- something that he had been told was generally unacceptable. Annie was oozing sex appeal and wore an outfit to match it. Even if he hadn't heard her familiar voice and seen her face, he would recognize that cleavage anywhere. He still had dreams about it after Jeff's lawyer party last fall, when she had been bouncing up and down in anger.

"I thought you'd never ask," he replied, stepping fully into his Iron Man persona. Tony Stark was a master of flirting, although he generally lacked the follow-through of someone like James Bond.

"Have you worked up a thirst today?"

Abed admired Annie's commitment. He knew this sexy-saleswoman thing wasn't her normal personality, but it seemed like she was really going for it. He noticed her checking out his suit, and he couldn't help but brag about the effort he'd put into building it.

"I'm pretty choosy about what I put in my body. This baby is a prime functioning machine, and it only takes the best."

"Well you've come to the right place! I have some G6 energy drink, you know, like the jet?" She lifted a paper cup in his direction. Abed noticed her hands were shaking.

Her voice had gone up an octave, and Abed could feel her character morphing back to her former role. That wouldn’t do. Abed decided to push her back into the sexpot trope by giving her an opening.

"I'm used to my 737 back home," he said casually. "It's fully equipped."

"And this suit you're wearing... I assume it's also fully equipped?"

Under his mask, Abed grinned. She was playing along! After his claymation Christmas, Abed had guessed she'd make a good roleplayer, but she was really going for it. He decided to take it a bit farther.

"Honey, all of me is equipped and ready to go. Just give me a time and a place." Taking the cup from her, he noticed she shivered when their fingers brushed.

"Well... my break is in an hour."

Abed froze. Her break? He didn't want to take a break. He was being Tony Stark, and she was being Booth Babe Annie. Making plans to meet would ruin that.

He was thinking of how Iron Man would handle this, when he noticed her face go red.

"Or," she said hesitantly, "I mean, you've probably got other events to go to. I hear there's a panel in the main auditorium later. So I understand-"

Just like that, the confident fun character she had created disappeared, and Abed felt horrible. She had been doing so well! Thinking quickly, he pressed a finger to her mouth, and she paused in her speech.

"Meet me outside, by the East Gate," he said. "You bring the drinks."

He was rewarded with a smile, and he couldn't help but echo it under his mask. Maybe they could keep the game going, or maybe it would have to end, but either way it was worth it to make her face light up like that.

* * *

To say she was nervous was an understatement. Annie had been sent off on her break by Trish a few minutes ago, and she was making her way to the East Gate to meet her mystery man. Her stride kept changing erratically between a confident strut and a complete and utter freeze. She knew she must seem like a crazy person.

 _What am I doing?_ Annie thought. She kept trying to remind herself that she wasn’t doing anything wrong. As long as she was making up what kind of woman she was, then she might as well be the kind who made random dates with strangers! When she thought about it, she realized that she hadn't actually been on a date in almost a year. Obviously, the normal way she'd been going about things wasn't working. Possibly, it was worth a shot. Nodding to herself, she resumed her strut.

The East Gate exit wasn't used much, and there was no one around. In years past it had been the smoking area, but once the cigarette ban had passed its popularity dwindled. There was a small bench a few yards from the door, with a stone drinking fountain to the left. If she squinted, Annie could almost call it romantic. Making her way over to the bench, she set down the cans of energy drink she had brought with her. Annie began pulling at the hem of her shorts restlessly. She knew if she let them, the doubts would rush in and completely incapacitate her, so instead she focused on the feel of the cool air and faint scent of motor oil.

The door creaked open, and she whirled around to see who it was.

The man in the gold-and-red robot suit was there, mask still in place. She wondered what his face looked like, and she felt a silly grin cross her face. What was _wrong_ with her? It was ridiculous to react this way to a robot. Despite standing completely motionless and silent, Annie could have sworn the metal man was sending her a warm and reassuring message.

When he didn't come any closer, Annie called out to him. "Hey, I brought refreshment!" she said, then winced. She hoped that didn't sound dumb and juvenile.

Her robot date ambled over to her, and she relaxed a fraction. Stopping directly in front of her, Annie had to crane her neck to look into his glowing eyes.

"Annie, there's something I have to tell you," he said.

She frowned, trying to remember if she had told him her name.

Before she could ask what he meant, the exit doors burst open, slamming against the wall with a loud bang.

Her adrenaline already up from the loud noise, when she saw the creature exiting, she let out a strangled cry. It was huge! Twice the size of her mystery robot, it dwarfed her. Rather than being shiny and smooth, it looked as if it had been through a battle, its metal armor twisted and cruel-looking. Angry red glowing eyes stared down at her menacingly.

Panicking, Annie scrambled backwards, but her knees hit the bench behind her, and she tumbled over it to the ground. She landed hard on her elbows and tailbone, the skin breaking and stinging.

In an instant, her red and gold robot was by her side, cradling her head. "Are you alright?"

It was funny, instead of its suave arrogance, the robot's voice sounded just like her friend Abed. Had she hit her head during her fall?

Her rational brain caught up with her and she realized the giant monster was just a person in a costume. Blushing scarlet, Annie felt horribly embarrassed. She had just made a gigantic fool of herself in front of this man who sounded suspiciously Abed-like.

Confirming the little voice in the back of her head, the giant scary monster removed his helmet, and Troy's concerned face popped out. If her heart hadn’t been racing, she would have found it comical how tiny his head looked swallowed by the huge costume.

"Annie?" He asked in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

The robot at her side ignored Troy's question. "We should probably get you to the medic station," he said, taking a gentle hold on her upper arm.

Still shaken from the fall, Annie gazed up at the mask above her. Reaching a hand up to his face, she traced the metal cheek.

"Abed?" She whispered, feeling more foolish than ever.

The robot removed the helmet, and her fears were confirmed. There was her friend Abed, with his wide warm eyes and expressive face. She withdrew her hand quickly and scooted back. "I... uhm, I have to go. I'm working."

She tried to stand, but her legs weren't cooperating. Abed was immediately by her side, and wrapped a supportive arm around her bare waist. The touch simultaneously calmed and inflamed Annie. She had been flirting with Abed! Their entire conversation was replaying in her mind, and she felt another rush of humiliation. Had he been laughing at her? Why had he agreed to meet her? What had he been hoping would happen? And did Troy know? He had seemed surprised when he saw her.

Jerking out of Abed's embrace, Annie stumbled as fast as she could past Troy and back into the convention hall. She couldn't think while Abed's soft brown eyes were staring at her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so so encouraged by all the kind feedback. Thank you everyone, I'll keep going on this.


	4. Mean Girls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day two of the convention

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for being patient everyone. I'm a super slow writer, so it's really encouraging to see all the comments.

It had been pure torture walking back out to the booth. After running from Abed, Annie had spent a good thirty minutes in the bathroom mentally scolding herself and trying not to ruin her makeup by crying.

_ Of course it had been Abed! _ All day, Annie had been trying to use her sexual energy to sell products, and she had actually fooled herself into thinking that it had been working. Her cheeks burned as she realized the only person who had actually fallen for it was Abed! He must have been playing some sort of character who messed with women’s emotions. There was no way she could face him- what if he told the rest of the study group?

After splashing some cold water on her face, Annie resumed her post at the booth- after all, she was a professional. As much as she wanted to run home with her tail between her legs, she had made a commitment. Annie Edison did  _ not _ bail on a commitment.

"How was your break?" Trish asked her as she returned.

Annie shook her head. "I don't want to talk about it."

The two models exchanged a look, and returned to passing out drinks. Annie felt a bit guilty for her cold response, but stayed silent anyway for the rest of the shift. Talking felt like too much. She kept an eye out for the two robots, but there was no sign of them. Her body felt on high alert all night, and she just couldn't keep a smile on her face. Any time there was a lull in customers, her mind would replay her conversation with the robot man, only this time she knew it was Abed behind the mask.

What must he have thought of her? Was he laughing at her? That didn't seem like Abed. But then Troy had seen them, and what did  _ he _ think? Why didn't Abed tell her it was him under the mask? Her mind kept circling back to the moment they touched hands, and her stomach would twist into knots all over again.

The minutes crawled by until Harry came around with envelopes for the three women.

"Thank you, ladies!” He greeted them, throwing his arms out wide. “See you here tomorrow at 9AM. It'll be a bit slower, but we'll still need all three of you." He walked away with a wink.

Annie knew she should call out to him, let him know that she wasn't going to come back the next day, but her throat felt stuck. In that moment it all seemed to catch up with her, and she felt tears prickling at her eyes. All she wanted was to escape. Clutching the envelope of cash, she left the convention with her head hung low.

Walking through the door of her horrid little apartment, Annie couldn't change out of her clothes fast enough. She slipped into her button-down flannel pajamas and washed the make-up off her face. Immediately, she felt a bit better. Looking in the mirror, she tried a smile, but it just turned into more tears. How could she have thought anyone would see her as anything more than the cute young dork?

With the fluorescent lights shining through the window from the marital aid shop, Annie opened up her laptop. She used her neighbor's Wi-fi to look up what character Abed had been playing. After some research, she learned he had been dressed up as the comic book character _ Iron Man _ , a.k.a. Tony Stark. According to his wikipedia, he was a flamboyant superhero who loved showing off and wooing beautiful women. Annie comforted herself a bit at that thought- if Abed's character went for beautiful women, then didn't that mean she was beautiful? He certainly seemed to go for accuracy in his role play.

Annie sighed. This whole thing had been about being independent and making money, yet here she was, back to the same old insecurities she'd been working through since high school. She was so frustrated with being shy and insecure! Was she really going to let one awkward encounter stop her?

She had thought making a move on a stranger was a step in the right direction, but it had only turned into more humiliation. Frowning to herself, Annie realized that it had been too many years for her to take a step backward. Today she had tried being someone new, and it had failed. But that didn't mean she couldn't try again. And this time, she'd be on the lookout for familiar robots.

Her mind made up, Annie set her alarm for the next morning and tucked herself into bed.

When she opened her eyes the next morning, the envelope of cash was right where she left it on the nightstand. Seeing it bolstered her confidence- she was going to make more money today, and become financially stable. Annie Edison was going to achieve her goals!

Smiling, she got ready for the convention and tried to push down the worry in her stomach. Every time a thought of a certain friend popped up in her mind, she distracted herself with something else. Today would be a success!

Annie's positive mood lasted until she reached the G6 booth. Instead of the friendly Amazons from the day before, there were two new women next to the boxes of drinks. One had blonde hair swinging in perfectly casual curls, studying her nails intently as if there was something written on them. Her partner had magenta-colored hair cut in a sleek bob that looked sharp enough to cut paper, and was currently applying bright pink lipstick. She looked oddly familiar to Annie, but she was so surprised to see new women that she couldn't concentrate on figuring it out.

"Hello," Annie said brightly. "Have you seen Trisha or Grace?"

The blonde looked up, as if startled. "Who?"

"The models from the agency... we ran the booth yesterday. Or maybe... Harry is around?"

"Look honey," the second one said, putting away her lipstick. "I'm not one of these Comic-Geeks, okay? I don't know any of your friends. We're just here to make a few bucks while these losers ogle my goodies."

Rolling her eyes, the blonde said, "Harry's the one who gave us the uniforms, remember Sheryl? Or were you too busy texting Josh!" She let out a harsh laugh.

It suddenly clicked for Annie where she knew the magenta-haired woman. "Sheryl Coombs, from Greendale High?" She blurted out. Annie had been friends with her older sister Beverly, back in middle school. Once the rigors of high school had gotten its claws into Annie, their friendship had sort of fallen away. But she faintly remembered seeing little Sheryl at their house, playing in her room or at the kitchen table getting a snack.

"Uh, yeah," Sheryl said, narrowing her eyes at Annie. "You know me or something?"

"I knew your sister, Beverly," Annie replied, trying on a friendly smile. "I'm Annie Edison."

"Cool," Sheryl said in a bored voice. "That's Kennedy," she gestured to the blonde, who had gone back to staring at her nails.

"Well, I was here yesterday, and I can help you-"

"Oh my gosh," Kennedy interrupted. "Do you ever stop talking? It's like, way too early for that."

"Oh, right," Annie said, trying not to be hurt. "I'll just let you guys adjust. Let me know if you have any questions."

Sheryl rolled her eyes, while Annie perched on the edge of a box. The exhibition hall was slowly filling. It was much less crowded on a Saturday morning, and Annie was easily able to spot Harry when he walked in the entrance.

"Hey, I'm just going to use the bathroom," she told them, eager to get away.

"Whatever," said Sheryl.

Walking away from the unpleasant women, Annie shouted across the hall, waving her arms. "Harry!" When he was within reach she asked, "What happened to Trisha and Grace?"

"Oh, them!" Harry said, and Annie realized he looked flustered. One half of his face still had morning stubble, and his tie was crooked. "Their agency called- I guess MTV is filming a reality show in Denver, and they got an audition at the last minute. Threw a real wrench in everything- I mean, I was so short staffed already! Don't worry, though, I found someone to keep you company." He gestured at the two women, who now had their phones out and seemed to be texting.

Annie's smile faded. While she was happy for the two models, she still didn't want to be stuck with these new women.

"Are we staying until 6 again?" She asked, hoping for a negative.

"I think so- I know it's slow right now, but a lot of people wait until the last minute to check out the exhibit hall. Friday and Saturday are all about the seminars and such, so today's our day to hook them!"

"I'll try my best, boss," Annie smiled, but his phone was already ringing, and he walked away.

"Well, I guess I'll get back to it, then," she said to herself. Turning back towards her booth, she realized it was a bit more crowded. She reasoned to herself that it would be ok to do a loop around the hall before returning to her booth. Sheryl and Kennedy wouldn't be able to see her, and Harry had already left.

_ I'll just look at the other booths, size up the competition _ , she rationalized to herself. That, and she had absolutely no desire to spend more time with the grumpy girls.

All the vendors had their wares out, and Annie was soon sucked in to the wonder of it all. She loved seeing the complicated costumes, and everyone was so friendly. She chatted with a girl selling corsets for a while, and even indulged in imagining herself in one. Not that she would have any place to wear it, but it sure looked good on the girl selling them!

Checking her watch, Annie realized she had been wandering for nearly an hour! Her conscience kicked back in and she felt bad for abandoning her booth for so long. Harry wasn’t paying her to shop, and she could only claim a lunch break for so long.

Promising herself that she'd make up for it by handing out twice as many samples, she turned her feet back towards the G6 booth. By now the hall was teeming with people, making it hard to see where she was going.

She heard rather than saw her booth, and recognized the bored tone of Sheryl's voice. "I don't know, weirdo. Look, we gave you the drink, now scoot."

Annie frowned to herself. That didn't sound like the friendly customer service Harry expected. She moved to approach the booth, her vision blocked by a woman wearing large angel wings.

"She should be here," Abed's voice replied, and Annie froze, listening in. He sounded slightly more frustrated than his usual monotone. "I'll just wait until she comes back."

"Ugh!" Kennedy sighed disgustedly. "You've been here too long already. Just go back to your geek dungeon. Haven't you learned by now that girls like us don't go for nerds like you?"

Sheryl giggled. "Yeah, I thought that was made clear in high school."

Annie still couldn't see Abed's face, but just picturing it made her burn with anger. Who the hell did these girls think they were, talking to Abed like that? He was the last person in the world who deserved to be treated cruelly.

Besides, he had made it perfectly clear to the study group that he could get girls any time he wanted. These women had no idea that if Abed wanted them, he could have them eating out of the palm of his hand. She was so sick of people judging him before they got to know him!

Pushing the angel out of the way, Annie saw Abed, his face blank, studying the women in front of him. Today it seemed he had left the robot suit at home, and was back to his familiar cardigan over a t-shirt. Before she knew it, her feet were moving and her arms wrapped around his neck.

"You found me!" She said brightly, gazing up into his brown eyes.

Abed's mouth quirked the way it did when he was processing human behavior. His eyebrows furrowed, and a little line appeared on his forehead.

Not thinking, just acting, Annie raised up on her tiptoes and brought his head down to her level. Their lips pressed together in a kiss- at first Abed stiffened, then his hands gripped her arms. It was fairly chaste, as kisses go, yet Annie felt something stir inside her that suggested more. His lips were warm and soft, and she felt his hands tentatively wrap around her waist.

He pulled away first, leaving Annie flushed and panting more than she'd like to admit.

"I think it was you who found me," he said, voice lower than usual.

Her thoughts were moving a mile a minute, but Annie clamped down on them firmly. Now was not the time to analyze, she told herself! Turning around, she faced Sheryl and Kennedy. Their faces were a mix of disgust and surprise, and Annie entertained the catty thought that they looked quite unattractive with that expression.

"We are being paid to represent a company," she scolded them, hands on her hips. "A  _ professional  _ company. While you may lack the human decency to treat others with respect just because it's the right thing to do, I would have thought you'd have enough brain cells to understand that it's also not good business."

"Whatever," the blonde rolled her eyes. "Sheryl, let's take our break."

The two women stalked away from the booth, and Annie was left alone with Abed, her lips still swollen from the kiss. Suddenly she felt all her righteous courage leave her, and she felt herself quickly returning to her usual bundle of nerves.

"Uh, sorry about them, Abed," she offered.

"Nothing to apologize for," he said, a faint smile across his face. "Looks like you lost your helpers."

Annie waved her hand, "Oh, it's fine. I can handle the booth on my own." Her eyes darted around, unsure of where to look or what to say.

"If you want, I can stay and help."

"Abed!” Annie gasped. “I wouldn't ask you to miss the convention. Besides, I bet Troy is missing you. Go, enjoy yourself."

Abed shook his head. "It's Saturday- all the best stuff is over by now. Just tell me what to do." He stepped gracefully around her and stood by the booth, clearly awaiting directions.

"Well, if you're sure..."

Annie smiled, relieved he hadn't asked about the kiss, or brought up their encounter from the day before. It seemed he was okay with pretending it never happened, which was completely what she wanted as well. Mostly.


End file.
